Darning attachment for sewing machines



June 16, 1953 E. JOHNSQN 2,642,022

DARNING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 30, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1953 R. E. JOHNSON 2,642,022

DARNING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. Vest. 194e .2 sheets-sheet 2 31 a@ j? 35 y Jnvenz IPALPH' JOHNSON Patented June 16, 1953i DARNLNGATTACHMENTLEGESEWING. MACHINES: Ralph-fn..Jnhnsomzirauway, N. 1.1,..assignorl-'m fm1-s1 .Singen Manufacturing Gompany;. Elizabeth;` Ng. J-.` wcm-poration of New Jersey.

Appucauqn-Nevemer' so, 19ans-erwin. (iz-,75T`

- af-ciaims; (c1. nca-260) lamanon of ingmachine maybe=readilyadapted for-f darni'ng articles, including thoseY of: tubular shape. It*

use in'- any' sewing operation wherein itl is" desiredv to manuallycontrol thelength' and-"direc"-r tion' of thee stitch;

Several thingsmust ber4 done to adapt-itheordinary sewingmachine for' sewing' ofi this kind. First*A the-A normal feeding means must' be ren-A dere'd inoperative asfar asu feedingv the work isy concerned: Secondly; some means forV holdingthe work' must" bef supplied* and, nally; in the absence of' a presserff'oot, means must bei* pro"-v videclf'or` stripping the 'work` from the needle: Thesey l'several means' should beso` interrelated as' to facilitate* introduction" and manual' shifting; of thework t'o-` perform rstitchingoperations; withthe skipping'o'f' stitches-'reduced to' an=` absolute'mihimum.

Itis known irrV the^- prior"art" toemploy'fa removableiplate which completely covers tl'ie feed- Y dog to prevent work-advancing engagement" l tnereby'of" the material. This` practice unnecessarily decreases the' available clearance space under'theneedle' by `at least the thickness ofthe Y plate'.

A` primary object ofthis invention; therefore,

is tojprovide meansv for' selectively preventing tliefeedld'og-from feedingfthe work; Withoutf'substant'ially'A affecting tlxeclearanc'ev space under.`

the needle;

I-Ieret'o'foref,` worliholders have'r been provided" for holding-a stretchedportion ofithe'work tobe stitched While maintainingthe surrounding por; tion of the Work out of the path' of 'then'ee'dla These havel been made with restricted dimensions'forpassingbeneath the-needle or have been slotted" for the same reason. Such limitationsI have r resulted in structurally weak' holders inadequate' to* controlalarge'bulk of materialwhich is-often required to Ibe handled.

It is a further object' of? this invention, there-- fore; t'of providef a work-,holder of' symmetrical shape. adaptedfor structurale r'gidityfand.. atr the'` sametime; for:l easy manipulation. .beneathA the needles A still further object: of: this' invention isto provider a stripperA foot which may be; raised" fori" insertionof'ftlie'` Workvto. an elevation equal' to thermaximum: needlel point lelevation to take fulll advantage of" the availablel spacebeneath the needle.

Anotherobjcct" of2 this-invention ist'crprovitie` a combination off' affworl spacing? plate`= and a Work-2 holden healing." cooperatingl surfaces y which` facil itate tiie1 positioning oftheiworl4 under-theneedl'el an'dthezmanipulation of-I the Workwith-minimum'- interferenceA from associated par-ts` ofi the@ ma'-wr chine-:-l

The inventionfwill be best' understood-5 fromthe\ following' description when considered in connecti'omwith the accompanying: drawing; and it'sfY scope will'l be point-'edi out'fi'n= the-- appendedg claims;Y

Referring' toi` the drawing, Fig. 1 a2 perspecL- tive-view ofa portion ofa sewing-macl1ineshow;` ingJv the attachmentseembodyih'g the invention.

showing a step'inmanipulatingA the* attachments embodying the linventimr.`

. Fi'g. 3i ani enlarged front' elevation', pa-rtl'y' in* vertical section; the-section beingfta'len` sub'r stantiallyi centrallyA through the' attachments of-t Fig.'

Figli 4f4 is apartiali section showingT thel coo'p'erL ative function between the component attachr ments,i embodying the invention.

Figi '5'i is= af top'iplan View) of" the'v coverplate component'of the'vv attachments.

Fig. '1f isa verticaifsectin. parnyin eist/ation; v

talenthrough a stripper-foot having' ai. modi'ed sole-piece. V

'ReferringftdFig l' therev shown'I aL portion oigaconventional ii'atlb'edl sewing-machine'- having. a work-supporting plate I and a bracketlarm headt 2 provided. with` a: face-plate 3; This machine may bei of the type described.' in. the UL, S..

patent4 referencemay. be. had for a. more com..` plete; description .of` this machine. A needle-bar.

4-carres at its. lower. emi.A a. needle-clamp 5f in whichv is-v removably secured, by. means.v of. a screw.r

a special'strippere-foot attachmentl IUf cured.; to f the-lwork-supportin'g surfacey off' the bed i l isLaworl'f-spacing plate I'lv which' functions" to holdi'tl'ie' work out of feeding engagement by the yfeed-dog; aswilli be described subsequently; A worleholding ringA [2 holds the Work" l'3': in a condition for-presentationl tothe needle Tand; at; the" same time: provides: a: support fortlier exce'ssr d work, whereby it is held out of the path of the needle.

The stripper-foot attachment I comprises a block I4 which, as shown in the drawings, is recessed to receive the presser-bar 8 upon which it is secured by the thumb-screw 9. Rising from the block I4 is a vertically disposed cylindrical sleeve or housing I5, axially bored to slidably accommodate a cylindrical shank portion I5 of the stripper-foot. The shank is urged downwardly by a coil-spring I'I disposed within the housing and compressed between a shoulder I8 on the shank and a spring-abutment I9 formed by the top wall of the housing. The upper end of the shank I6 extends through the housing, and an angular lifter arm 23 is secured thereto to overhang the housing. One end 2i of the arm extends outwardly laterally of the line of feed and serves as a hand lifter for the foot, as seen best in Fig. 2. The other end 22 of the arm overhangs the needle clamp 5 on the needle bar 4 and forms a tappet against which the needle clamp impinges on the ascending stroke of the needle-bar to intermittently raise the foot. The arm 2I overhanging the housing I5 incidentally serves` to prevent the shank from being forced downwardly out of the housing by the actionof the coil spring I'I.

The stripper-foot proper comprises a stepped or Z-shaped element 23, with the depending end of the cylindrical shank I6 terminating in and secured to the upper horizontal shelf 24 of the Z. The rear edge of this shelf slidably engages the front wall of the supporting block I4, thereby providing for vertical sliding movement of the foot and shank but preventing turning thereof about a vertical axis. The lower horizontal portion 25 of the Z forms thesole-piece of the stripper-foot and contains an enlarged needle accommodating aperture 26. The upright wall of the Z is formed to provide an upwardly open slit 26 extending downwardly to the needle accommodating aperture 25 in the sole-piece, thereby facilitating threading. y

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that, in the lifted position of the stripper-foot, the upper shelf 24 abuts the block I4 Awhich provides a stop, and, in

this position, the point of the needle 'I is guarded by the apertured portion 26, so that material being inserted will not be snagged by the needle.l

The stripper-foot IIJ may be modified, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 by providing the sole piece 38 with a rounded plow portion 39 in the form of an upwardly inclined toe struck up from ythe front end. In this manner, the sole piece cannot snag any darning yarn 40 which may be laid crosswise on the work.

The work holder comprises an endless ring I2 having as a cross-section a radially outwardly flaring V-channel as seen best in Figs. 3 and 4, together with a cooperating garter spring 21. The work to be sewn is maneuvered to a position centrally of the ring I2 and the surrounding fabric portions are drawn about the edge of the ring and clamped in the crotch of the V-channel by the garter spring 2 1. The ring being symmetrical, the work may be drawn about either edge of the attachment. If the work is a sock, for example, the remaining portions thereof are rolled in the usual manner at the outside of the ring as shown clearly in Figs. l and 3. The vertex angle formed by the intersecting walls of the V-channel is preferably obtuse and such that the attachment, the height of which exceeds the clearance between the raised stripper foot I0 and the work spacing plate I I, may be slid beneath the foot by upending the ring I2 as is clearly shown in Fig. 2'. The v-channel also provides a space into which the work may be compressed when the ring is upended as shown.

This construction thus obviates the use of vertical slots in the side walls of the work-holder to permit the introduction of the attachment under the needle 1. Furthermore, the upper inclined wall of the ring I2 provides for greater shifting movement of the work-loaded ring during use, before the ring is engaged by the needle-clamp screw B. `Should the needle-clamp screw strike this inclined wall, the tendency would be to cam the ring harmlessly out of the Way as is shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 4.

Thework-spacing plate II contains a needle aperture 28 and feed-dog apertures 29'and 30 and is generally semi-circular in plan having a plane, smooth top surface gradually rounded off at the edges so that'when it is placed upon the bed I, the edges present substantially no obstruction to horizontal sliding movement of objects relativethereto. The plate II is held in place on the bed I and over an ordinary throatplate 3| by gravity and by the pressure of the work itself, said'plate being positioned by two locating pins 32 and 33 secured to said plate, which pins engage cooperating apertures in the throat-plate and in the bed respectively.

One of the pins 33 is arranged to move relative to the other pin 32 to permit adjustment to meet manufacturing differences in the spacing of the cooperating apertures. To this end, the movable pin 33 is formed with a head 34 seated in a depressed portion 35 of the plate II, as seen best in Fig. 6. The material in the depressed portion 35 is slotted to form a guideway 36 which carries a guide-plate 3l secured to the pin 33 and extending lengthwise beyond the limits of the guideway. Thus, the pin 33 may be moved in a path along said Aguideway toward or away from the fixed pin 32 and is limited in the extent of this movement by the lit of the head 34 within the depressed portion 35.

The plate I I is slightly dished and when prop- Y? erly mounted on the machine bed I, overlies a portion of the throat-plate 3l, as seen .in Fig. 3,

and has its upper surface positioned so .that in its upper position the regular feed-dog 38 just fails to reach through the apertures 29 and 30 to the surface. In this manner, more vertical clearance between the raised stripper-foot 25 and the plate II is provided, the gain in this respect being substantially equal to the plate thickness in the case of the customary work plates which actually cover the feed-dog.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that, by means of the cooperative action of the stripperfoot, work-holder and work spacing plate, according to the invention, I have provided improved means for readily adapting a flat-bed sewing machine for darning, embroidery or similar work.

Having thus set vforth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A work-spacing device for sewing machines having a work-sup-port provided with an aperture, and a feed-dog operating through said worksupport, comprising, a plate adapted to be removably mounted upon said work-support in the regionof said feed-dog, and plate securing means f including an anchoring pin depending from said plate and ad-apted to enter said aperture in the work-support, said pin being slidable laterally in a guideway carried by said plate.

2. A work-spacing device for. sewing machines having a Work-support provided with a plurality of spaced apertures, and a feed-dog operating through said work-support, comprising, a plate adapted to be removably mounted upon said worksupport in the region of said feed-dog, a Arst anchoring pin depending from said plate and normal thereto and adapted to enter one of said apertures, and a second anchoring pin depending from said plate land normal thereto and adapted to enter the other of said apertures, said second anchoring pin being slidable laterally in a guidevvay formed in said plate for pin-positioning movement toward and from said rst anchoring pin.

3, A work-spacing element for a sewing machine having a Work-support and a feed-dog operating through said Work-support, comprising, a generally semi-circular dished plate presenting a plane top surface with gradually rounded side edges, said plate having a circular depressed portion struck into said Itop surface and containing a straight cut-out portion forming a guide slot, avpin positionedin said slot and having a circular headed portion seated on the top side of said depressed portion, and a guide lug secured to said pin, said guide lug being freely seated in f and extending beyond the extremities of said RALPH E. JOHNSON.

' References ,Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '791,384 Viglini May 30, 1905 899,574 Towers Sept. 29, 1908 921,690 Frick May`18, 1909 937,112 Staio'rd Oct. 19, 1909 1,122,999 Pettit Dec. 29, 1914 1,169,236 Carr Jan. 25, 1916 1,300,496 Shaw Apr. 15, 1919 1,905,907 Karle Apr. 25, 1933 1,943,254 Barron Jan. 9, 1934 1,981,837 Hemleb Nov. 20, 1934 2,471,370 Gegauf May 24, 1949 l FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 202,828 Switzerland May 1, 1939 213,544 switzerland May 16, 1939 

